1094
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 72

Letters containing valuable articles, bank-notes, &c.
8. Letters containing valuable articles should invariably be registered. If any unregistered letter is discovered to contain coin or bank-notes, it will be subjected to a compulsory registration-fee of 6d., and sent to destination registered.

Soldiers' and sailors' letters may be forwarded at 1d.
9. Letters addressed to or forwarded by any non-commissioned officer, members of the Cape regular service, army schoolmaster (not of the first class), army schoolmistress, soldier, or seaman, while actually employed in Her Majesty’s service, may be transmitted within the colony, and between the colony and the Australian Colonies, India, British Ports in the Mediterranean, and the United Kingdom, at a charge of 1d. each; and to any post office within the British Dominions, via the United Kingdom, by British mail packet, at 2d. each, provided that the following regulations are observed:—
(a.) Each letter must not exceed ½oz. in weight.
(b.) If sent by any such privileged person, it must be superscribed with the name of the writer, his description or class in the regiment or vessel, and signed by the officer at the time in command.
(c.) If addressed to any such privileged person, his description or class in the regiment or vessel must be specified thereon.
(d.) If posted within the colony, the postage must be prepaid.
Letters of this description posted or received in the colony, not in accordance with the foregoing regulations, or if addressed to foreign countries, will be treated as ordinary letters.

Prohibited letters.
10. For particulars as to letters not accepted for transmission, see “Articles not allowed to be sent by post,” page 80 of the Postal Guide.

POST-CARDS.

Rates of postage.

1. The rates of postage are—
   For delivery within the Colony, Australia, and the South Sea Islands (see Table A, page 1100)
   Each single post-card, 1d.
   Each reply-paid post-card, 2d.
   For delivery in any other country (see Table B, page 1101)
   Each single Postal Union post-card, 1½d.
   Each reply-paid Postal Union post-card, 3d.

(Postal Union post-cards will be applicable to any of the countries mentioned at Table B, page 1101. Until these are printed and issued, the present Inland and Australian post-cards may be used in their stead, by affixing a ½d. stamp next the printed stamp on “single,” and on each half of the “reply-paid” cards).

Only post-cards issued or stamped by Government admissible.
2. No post-cards other than those issued by the Government, or private post-cards stamped by the Government under the special authority of the Postmaster-General, can be used for the purpose of making a communication through the Post Office, unless such cards be prepaid the ordinary letter rate.

Conditions for receiving and stamping private cards.
3. Private cards will be received from the public, and impressed with the penny postage-stamp, under the following conditions: A week’s notice is to be given by the applicant, and a sample of the card to be used to be forwarded for the Postmaster-General’s inspection. None but cards of approved quality and colour will be accepted. Each sheet must be of the size of 22in. by 15in., and must not exceed 2oz. in weight. Not fewer than fifty sheets of card can be received at one time. On each sheet presented for impression, the applicant’s name or monogram is to be embossed or printed, and any printing must be thoroughly dry. Cards when impressed will be returned to the applicant in sheets of twenty-one impressions. No fee will be charged for stamping. Cash must accompany all cards to be impressed. No commission will be allowed upon private cards impressed for licensed vendors.

General conditions.
4. Post-cards must be sent unenclosed. The front is reserved for the address; but the sender may there add his own name and address by means of a stamp, autograph-stamp, or any method of printing. On the reverse side, any communication, whether in the nature of a letter or otherwise, may be printed, written, or designed, &c., except as provided in paragraph No. 6. Nothing whatever must be joined or attached to a post-card. An exception is, however, made in favour of cards addressed to places within the colony, to the back of which a receipt-stamp may be affixed.

Reply-paid post-cards.
5. The sender of a reply-paid post-card may write his own name and address on the front of the reply-half. The reply-half can only be sent to the country in which it originated; if addressed to any other country it is not forwarded. Each of the two halves must fulfil the conditions laid down for single post-cards: one half is doubled over the other, and they must not be closed up in any manner whatsoever.

Post-cards bearing obscene or libellous inscriptions.
6. Any post-card exhibiting anything of an obscene, libellous, or obviously objectionable character will be detained and sent to the Dead Letter Office.

Post-cards infringing rules.
7. Post-cards addressed to countries beyond the colony infringing any of the above rules, except the last, are detained and returned to the senders through Chief Postmasters. Such cards, however, if directed to any place within the colony, are sent to destination, and charged 1d. on delivery.

BOOK-POST.

Division of book-post.

1. The book-post is now divided into two classes: (a) Commercial Papers, and (b) Printed Papers.